Reducible carton construction



May 5, 1970 G. REINER REDUCIBLE CARTON CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 21 1968 m N E V m GFORGL' REINER May 5, 1970 cs. REINER REDUCIBLE CARTON CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 21. 1968 INVENTOR. GEORGE RE/NE'R United States Patent 3,510,046 REDUCIBLE CARTON CONSTRUCTION George Reiuer, 333 E. 55th St., New York, N.Y. 10022 Filed Aug. 21, 1968, Ser. No. 754,236 Int. Cl. B65d /48, 5/54 U.S. Cl. 229-27 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A carton having a plurality of detachable compartments which are removed as the contents thereof are expended. In a two compartment carton a continuous perforation extends proximate the middle wall along the outer walls of the carton, the detachable portion forming a three walled unit upon removal. Indicia, on the outer surface of the middle wall, may warn the user of diminishing product therein.

This invention relates to merchandise packages, and more particularly to a carton which is capable of being diminished in size by removal of units formed by portions of the walls. When these units are removed, a fully enclosed compartment remains.

There have been many attempts in prior art to construct detachable cartons. These constructions have involved many additional panels over the normal carton require-ments, consequently requiring extra steps of manufacture and assembly, resulting in an expensive product.

Accordingly, it is among the principal objects of the present invention to provide a carton of the character described which can be fabricated from a single blank and when assembled, results in a plurality of compartments with a minimum of additional panels and assembly steps.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a carton of the character described which will allow a construction with a plurality of compartments whose respective sizes may vary as desired.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a carton whose size may be reduced as the contents are removed or consumed, leaving a smaller package, requiring smaller storage space.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a reducible carton which will permit exhibition of data on the last exposed portion of the inner carton, to alert the user that the contents have been diminished, and that the time for replacement has come, or any other desired message.

Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a reducible carton which will be inexpensive to manufacture, will be easy to fill and will be durable in use and remain so even after a portion of the carton is discarded.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a carton of the character described which may be decorated prior to assembly upon a single continuous service.

The invention contemplates a carton which may be formed from a single continuous blank subject to a dye press which impresses the necessary score lines and perforation tear lines. Basically the carton depends from two rear walls divided by a perforated tear line. The first rear wall has depending therefrom, three other walls, forming the side front and middle walls of the permanent compartment. Depending from the bottom of the rear, side, and middle walls are flaps to form the base therof, and depending from the tops of these walls, are other flaps to form the closure elements. An additional flap may extend from the middle wall for securement against the inner surface of the rear wall.

Depending from the right rear wall are a side and front wall, and in additional wall which may be secured to the 3,510,046 Patented May 5, 1970 "ice front wall of the permanent compartment. In a like manner there are flaps extending from the right rear, middle, front, and additional walls to form further closures for the base elements, and other flaps extending from the tops of the rear and side walls for closure purposes. A perforated tear line extends all the way down the separation between the rear walls and along their lower and upper flaps.

After assembly, the preferred construction forms two compartments to the carton which may be filled with the desired product. After the desired product is used in the right compartment, it may be separated from the l ft or permanent compartment by simply applying force to the tear lines. Upon removal the right compartment will simply be a unit comprising of three walls and the left compartment will be fully enclosed, since the tear line is to the outside of the middle wall. It may be desirable to place indicia in the outer surface of the middle wall to alert the user to the fact that there is only a single compartment remaining with the product therein.

The above description and objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description, taken with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a single blank embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the carton partially assembled;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the carton completely assembled with the exception of the closure of the top flaps;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with the top flaps closed;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the invention showing the right compartment detached from the left permanent compartment;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view showing a modified construction of the closure flap.

Turning in detail to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a reducible carton construction 10 which may be made from paperboard, plastic or other flexible and foldable materials and die cut and scored in the usual manner to form a rear wall 12, a side wall 14, a front wall 16, a middle wall 18, and a glue flap 20. These elements are separated by score lines 22, 24, 26, and 28 respectively. Depending from the bottom of the panels 12, 14 and 18 are flaps 30, 32 and 34 defined from the said panels by score lines 36, 38, and 40. In a like manner extending from the top of the said walls are flaps 42, 44, and 46 defined from the walls by score lines 48, 50 and 52. Flap 42 also has defined at the end thereof a tuck 54 defined therefrom by score line 56 for the purpose hereinafter appearing. These elements form the first or permanent compartment of the carton construction.

The second compartment or detachable unit of the construction is defined by a rear wall 58, a side wall 60, and a front Wall 62. An additional wall 64 is secured to the front Wall 62 for the purpose hereinafter appearing. The walls 58, 60 and 62 are defined therefrom by scorelines 66 and 68. Extending from the bottom of the walls 58, 60, 62, and 64 are flaps 70, 72, 74, and 76 defined therefrom by scorelines 78, 80, '82, and 84 respectively. The flaps 74 and 76 are extensions of the walls 62 and 64 and the walls and flaps are defined therefrom by a perforated tearline 86 between the walls and tearline 88 between the flaps.

Extending from the tops of walls 58 and 60 are flaps 90 and 92 defined therefrom by scorelines 94 and 96 respectively; extending outwardly from the flap 90 is closure tuck 98 defined therefrom by scoreline 100.'The

walls 12 and 58 and corresponding flaps 30, 70 and 42, 90 are defined therefrom by a perforated tearline numbered 102 between the walls, 104 between the upper flaps 42, 90 and 106 between the lower flaps 30, 70.

It should also be noted that for purposes of the description, the surface 108 of the middle wall 18 will be defined as the outer surface thereof. (FIG. 5.)

Turning to FIG. 2 there is shown a carton construction in the partially assembled state. It will be noted that the rear walls 12, 58 are maintained in flat line condition with respect to each other. The walls 14, 16 and 18 are folded on their respective scorelines 22, 24 and 26 to form the side, front, and middle walls of the first or permanent compartment. The flap 20 is also folded along the scoreline 28 and is adhered to the wall 12 as best seen in FIG. 6. The flaps 32, 34 are then turned inwardly along the scorelines 38, 40.

Wall 60 is bent along its scoreline 66 and wall 62 is bent along its scoreline 68 to form the outer walls of the second compartment. Wall 64 is secured to the outer surface of wall 16. Flap 72 is bent upwardly and above flaps 74 and 76 so as to be folded inwardly above the said flaps. Adhesive may be placed upon the flaps 74, 76 as at 110, 112. Flaps 30, 70 may then be folded upwardly and underneath flaps 74, 76 with the adhesive portions 110, 112 contacting the lower surfaces of flaps 30, 70 completely enclosing and forming the base of the first and second compartments. At this point the carton.

appears as shown in FIG. 3. It should be noted that the perforated tearlines 86, 88, 106 and 102 are located to the right of the middle wall 18.

The desired product may now be placed within the compartments, and may be achieved by hand loading or by automatic equipment. The contents may be prewrapped in stacks and placed therein, or the contents may be random loaded.

To close and seal the carton, the flaps 46, 44, and 92 are folded inwardly along their scorelines '52, 50, and 96 and thence the flaps 42, 90 are folded downwardly along their scorelines 48, 94, and the tucks 64, 98 may be inserted within the stacks in the well-known manner, or adhesive 114, 116 may be placed on the inner surface thereof and may be adhered to the front walls 16, 62 as shown in FIG. 4 to form a completed package. When the package is in this condition the tearline 104 is located along the top of the compartment to the right of the middle wall 18.

In use, the contents of the second compartment are taken first and when it has been completely emptied, this unit may be removed by applying a force along the tearlines and detaching it from the first compartment, as shown in FIG. 5. The surface 108 of the first compartment may have indicia printed thereon advising the user that it is time to order more merchandise, or for such other message as is desired.

FIG. 7 shows a slightly modified version of the invention having flaps 200, 202 defined from the rear walls by scorelines 204, 206 and corresponding flaps 208, 210 defined from the front walls by scorelines 212, 214. The flaps 208, 210 have defined therein slots 216, 218 receiving tongues 220, 222 die cut from the flaps 200, 202. In this embodiment, closure of the flaps is effected by placing the tongues 220, 222 within the slots 216, 218.

It should be noted that the closures at both ends of this invention may be ordinary sealed ends, tucks or tongues and slots as shown, depending on the type of equipment to be employed and the type of closure desired.

The terms and expressions which have been employed here are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalence of features shown and described, or portion thereof, it being recognized that various modifications are possible Within the scope of the invention claimed.

What is claimed is: 1

1. A reducible multi-compartment carton formed from a single blank which comprises:

(a) a first compartment having a front wall and a rear wall, and a middle wall secured-to the rear wall adjacent a first perforatedtearline to form a permanent unit; I

(-b) a second compartment having a rear wall secured to the rear-wall of the first compartment and defined therefrom by a first perforated tearline, and a front wall, a flap secured to the first front wall and defined therefrom by a second perforated tearline;

(c) the flap being secured to the front wall of the first compartment, the second tearline being free thereof and substantially in alignment with the first tearline between the rear wall of the first and second compartment so that the second compartment maybe detached from the first compartment when desired.

2. The invention according to claim 1, the front and rear walls of the first and second compartments being connected by side walls.

3. The invention according to claim 2, flaps depending from the rear walls of the first and second compartments to form the bases of the compartments.

4. The invention according to claim 1, means to close the first and second compartments when the desired product has been placed therein.

5. The invention according to claim 1, a flap extending from the middle wall and adhered to the rear Wall of the first compartment to form the permanent unit.

6. The invention according to claim 3, the walls and flaps being defined from each other by scorelines.

7. The invention according to claim 4, the closure means including flaps depending from the tops of the rear walls and having tuck flaps extending from the ends thereof.

8. The invention according to claim 4, the closure means including flaps extending upwardly from the rear and front walls of the compartments, one set of flaps having slots defined therein, the other set of flaps having tongues die cut therein, the tongues being received with the slots upon closure of the flaps.

References Cited 9 UNITED STATES PATENTS JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner S. E. LIPMAN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 22951 

